French Chicken Breasts With Cherry Tomatoes

French Chicken Breasts With Cherry Tomatoes. Photo: Supplied

No more dry chicken breasts! Browning them in a pan to add flavour and then finishing them off in a low-temperature oven ensures they stay tender and juicy. This method works with any kind of sauce, but I like cherry tomatoes and herbs for a festive colour scheme at Christmas dinner. Ready in 30 mins. Serves 2 (but easily scaled for more people)

Ingredients

2 skin-on single chicken breasts

salt and ground black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp butter

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

¾ cup chicken stock

1-1½ tsp white wine vinegar or tarragon vinegar

2 tbsp chopped soft herbs, such as parsley, chervil and tarragon

Method

Preheat oven to 150°C fanbake.

Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp butter in an ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. When butter starts to turn brown add chicken skin-side down and cook for 4 minutes until golden brown. Turn to brown other side for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, stock and vinegar and bring to a simmer.

Transfer to preheated oven and bake until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a skewer in the thickest part (about 20-30 minutes depending on size of chicken).

Transfer chicken to 2 warm serving plates to rest. Taste cooking juices in a frying pan and adjust seasonings. Mix in most of the herbs, reserving some to garnish. Return pan to stove top and simmer for 5 minutes, adding remaining butter at the end and whisking until glossy. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with remaining herbs to serve.

For more great recipes Annabel’s book is called ESSENTIAL Annabel Langbein. Find out more at annabel-langbein.com or follow Annabel on Facebook or Instagram.